35 Winter Wonderlands Around the World

We tend to associate winter with bleak, gray skies and runny noses, but there's a beautiful side to the season that often gets overlooked. We're talking about Italian mountains covered with snow, pristine frozen lakes, and English cottages that put Norman Rockwell paintings to shame. And while we encourage exploring these destinations any time of the year, we won't judge if you want to walk through some winter wonderlands from behind your (warm) computer screen. So grab a mug of hot chocolate and forget about summer for a little while.

This gallery was originally published in 2016. It has been updated with new information.

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Banff National Park, Canada

Easily one of the most beautiful spots in Canada, Banff National Park overwhelms with views of the Canadian Rockies and regular cast of wildlife. The park's star attraction is glacial Lake Louise, which looks even more spectacular once it freezes over.

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Antarctica

There are few places (if any) more stunning than the world's southernmost continent. Although 99 percent of Antarctica is covered with ice, the landscape still manages to be amazingly diverse—surreal blue glaciers, active volcanoes, the rough waterways of the Drake Passage, and 360-degree views of untouched snow. And those views are made even better when an emperor penguin or humpback whale makes an appearance.

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Dolomites, South Tyrol, Italy

The Dolomites are the cozy cousin to the Alps' glitzy ski towns. The area's powdery slopes can be accessed via the 86-mile Great Dolomites Road, one of the world's most beautiful alpine drives—and a perfect day trip from Venice.

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Blue Pond, Hokkaido, Japan

The Japanese island of Hokkaido is a poster child for natural beauty, with its volcanoes and lakes becoming even more surreal come wintertime. One notable example is the Blue Pond, whose protruding trees and azure waters really know how to work those layers of ice.

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Gokayama, Japan

The coldest parts of Japan are in its northernmost regions, but nowhere is snow country more beautifully represented than in the thatched cottages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama (pictured). These UNESCO-protected villages cover 170 acres in central Japan, and are tucked into the mountains like real-life snow globes.

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Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Bryce Canyon National Park welcomes most of its visitors from spring to fall, but those travelers are seriously missing out. Skirt the crowds and visit during the winter, when you can participate in ranger-led snowshoe hikes and winter astronomy programs. Plus, you'll get to see those famous hoodoos in their best environment—peeking through a blanket of snow.

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Crater Lake, Oregon

Sitting at 1,943 feet, Crater Lake is the deepest in the United States and made entirely out of glacial runoff and precipitation, which is responsible for its clarity and intense blue color.

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Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Wintertime in Wyoming can't be missed: Snow has fallen, elk have descended from the mountains, and a sense of tranquility fills the landscape. It’s the perfect time to enjoy views of the Teton range, whether on skis or from the warmth of a fireplace.

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Hallstatt, Austria

Its lakeside views and 12th-century buildings make Hallstatt a picture-perfect town. Visit during the winter, and you'll get to enjoy the snowy mountains and candlelit restaurants without the hoards of tourists.

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Harbin, China

Every January in northern China, upwards of a million tourists flock to an attraction unlike anything else in the world: a temporary city made entirely out of ice. The Harbin International Ice & Snow Sculpture Festival has taken place every winter since 1963, covering some eight million square feet with frozen, LED-covered skyscrapers, palaces, and sculptures.

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Cambridge, U.K.

With its Gothic courtyards and student-packed pubs, the stately university city of Cambridge is worth more than just a day trip from London. The college's most iconic structures—including Cloister Court, the Friars Building, and the Mathematical Bridge—look extra magical covered in white.

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Lake Bled, Slovenia

With its church-dotted islet and waters begging for rowboat rides, it's no wonder Lake Bled is one of the most popular destinations in Slovenia. The site gets even more postcard-worthy when the surrounding Julian Alps become covered with snow, and a fog settles over the lake.

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Nepal

It's hard to find a region more remote and untouched than the Nepalese Himalayas. The sky-high country is defined as much by its rock formations and colorful stupas as by its unfathomable stretches of jagged mountains.

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Lake Baikal, Russia

Lake Baikal is the planet's oldest and deepest lake, reaching depths of one mile and covering an area larger than Belgium in Siberia. Come winter, the lake transforms into a snowy paradise, with jagged ice caves encircling what amounts to the largest ice skating rink on earth. Bonus: The lake also happens to house our planet's only freshwater seals.

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Paris, France

We love Paris when it sizzles, but the City of Light becomes even more dazzling under a shroud of snow and Christmas lights.

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Jökulsárlón, Iceland

The glacial lake of Jökulsárlón and its frozen beach are considered a natural wonder of Iceland, with black volcanic sands providing a stark backdrop for the chunks of ice that wash ashore.

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Lapland, Finland

Lapland is Finland’s northernmost region, and probably one of the most idyllic winter scenes you'll ever come across. There aren't many places where you can visit Santa Claus, take a reindeer sleigh ride, or sleep under the Northern Lights in a bubble sled, after all—but Lapland lets you do all three.

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Bergen, Norway

Norway's second most populated city is enduringly, painstakingly pretty. Colorful wooden buildings, views of fjords and mountains, and even some Northern Lights appearances—what's not to love?

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Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria, Germany

Built in 1886, Neuschwanstein famously served as inspiration for Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland. But unlike the royal home in Anaheim, this clifftop structure gets to transform into an ethereal snow castle during the Bavarian winters.

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Plitvice Lakes, Croatia

The 16 terraced lakes of Croatia's Plitvice Lakes National Park are connected by waterfalls and vary in shades of blue, resulting in something that defies the imagination—especially when the falls freeze over.

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Queenstown, New Zealand

Queenstown is not only the adrenaline-junkie capital of the world, but the southern New Zealand city also offers some of the most jaw-dropping views in the world.

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Tallinn, Estonia

Tallinn has one of the best-preserved historical centers in Europe, with many of its medieval churches and merchant houses falling under UNESCO protection. The views of the historical center from Toompea Castle are so beautiful they make the cold, Baltic winters downright bearable.

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Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska

Ask anyone who's been on an Alaskan cruise and they'll tell you: Glacier Bay National Park is the highlight of the entire state. Spanning one million acres, the park is one of the most bio-diverse regions on the planet—expect to see whales, moose, wolverines, mountain goats, and grizzly bears among the 100+ pristine lakes.

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Ilulissat, Greenland

Greenland's western town of Ilulissat draws tourists for several reasons: the UNESCO-listed Ilulissat Icefjord, dog sledding, and the colorful buildings set to the backdrop of icebergs.

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Apostle Islands, Wisconsin

When temperatures drop and Lake Superior hardens, the sandstone caves at Wisconsin's Apostle Islands undergo a magical transformation. The streams and waterfalls that usually cascade over the structures freeze in time, and the caves become encased by massive, needle-like icicles.

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Prague, Czech Republic

Known for its historic pubs and incredible Baroque architecture, Prague somehow becomes even better in winter. Even the most jaded travelers will find warmth in the city's Christmas markets and mulled wine.

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Quebec City, Canada

Quebec City is one of the oldest cities in North America, and its colonial French architecture gives it an unmistakably European feel. The cobbled streets of the Old Town are merrily decorated for the holidays, and the toboggan run at Château Frontenac (open from mid-December to March) is the most thrilling way to view the lovely city.

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Torres del Paine National Park, Chile

With its granite pillars, azure lakes, and wealth of icebergs, Torres del Paine is one of the most impressive sites in the entire Southern Hemisphere.

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Bulguksa Temple, South Korea

Built in 774, the Temple of Bulguksa is found in the incredibly scenic Gyeongju National Park on the slopes of Mount Tohamsan. The complex's stone terraces, bridges, and pagodas look especially lovely in winter, covered by a light layer of snow.

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Vienna, Austria

We're particularly fond of the Austrian capital in the winter, when you can double down on hot chocolate and Sacher torte, listen to classical holiday concerts, and Instagram Schönbrunn Palace and St. Charles Church covered in snow.

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Ljubljana, Slovenia

Slovenia's capital city is a real-life fairytale setting, come sunshine or snow flurries. Book a trip after the holidays, when you'll have tons of room to stroll the pedestrian-only Old Town and sip coffee by the riverside cafes.

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Hagia Sophia, Istanbul

Named one of the new Seven Wonders of the World, the Hagia Sophia has been standing since the sixth century, and is one of the best examples of Byzantine architecture in the world.

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Central Park, New York City

There are several reasons to visit New York City during the holidays. But even after the Rockefeller Tree lights are unplugged and the 5th Avenue shop windows go back to normal, Central Park remains one of the city's must-visit locations (plus, a snapshot of snowy Gapstow Bridge in Central Park is bona fide Instagram gold).

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Budapest, Hungary

Winter is, hands down, the best time to visit Budapest. Seeing the Hungarian Parliament surrounded by ice drifts on the Danube could make even the strictest of beach bums embrace the cold.

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St. Petersburg, Russia

Russia’s second-largest city is a sort of work of art in and of itself, with the stark blue of Smolny Cathedral and bright yellow of the Winter Palace standing out against the snow.